On this, International Womens Day, we remember the women of our sport.
Georgina Ballantine with her 64lb Tay monster from Glendelvine on the Tay. Clementina ‘Tiny’ Morison’s massive 61lb fish caught from Mountblairy on the Deveron. Megan Boyd who tied wonderous flies. Megan is remembered in the film, Kiss the water. Whilst in the film, Fly Fishing from 1955 by British Pathe, Isabella Hermiston from Kelso is featured. Isabella tied flies which were sent all over the world, a good number of which probably returned to the Tweed to be used.
This film was made in times much different from the one we are now experiencing. Salmon are in decline, although from some of the pictures we’ve been seeing of these superb creatures, the spring fish being caught this year are silver torpedos, well built and defying the doom and gloom we’ve come accustomed to hearing. We can not however become complacent because we are seeing these fish, the numbers have been decimated, be it because of global warming or over predation by humans as well as natural predators, both at sea and in our rivers.
We are all responsible in our own way to ensure this fantastic animal not only survives, but starts to thrive again in clean, unpolluted waters. When this film was made in the 1950’s, the Tweed suffered pollution from a number of sources, the woollen mills and industry in general poured its waste into the river. That was stopped thankfully, but we now need to do more and widen the net if you will excuse the pun.
However, for now sit back and watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3haTXem2umw and celebrate one of the many women of our sport.
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